ifm electronic gmbh, a German sensor and automation company, is now in Indonesia to make "Making Indonesia 4.0" successful

ifm electronic gmbh is expanding its business to Indonesia. The company, which was founded in 1969 in Essen, Germany, is ready to make the vision of Indonesia 4.0 a reality in the Indonesian industry.

ifm electronic has been present in Indonesia through PT ifm electronic Indonesia, which was established on 10 October 2022. However, the company inaugurated its office in Sentral Senayan II, Jakarta on 3 August 2023 with the grand opening ceremony. The event was attended not only by the company's business partners and customers in Indonesia, but also by Indonesian government officials such as from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs represented by Mr Patrick Suryagunawan Hasjim, Assistant Director of Europe II, and Mr Fajar Wirawan Harijo, Assistant Deputy for Europe, Africa and the Middle East at the Ministry of Economy. For the past ten months, PT ifm electronic Indonesia has been preparing its new office and recruiting new employees.

"As President Widodo said in Hanover, Indonesia's vision is to become the 10th largest economy in the world, and that is the reason why we chose an office in Indonesia," says Simon Evans, Chief Sales Officer at ifm electronics gmbh.

Evans says that ifm electronic's presence as a leader in the automation industry in Indonesia is the answer to President Joko Widodo's vision.

Jakarta in particular was chosen as the location for the Indonesian office for several reasons. First, there are many qualified human resources. Second, the location of Jakarta is close to various industries and most of ifm electronic's customers are located not far from Jakarta.

In the industrial world, ifm electronic specialises in various sectors such as the food and beverage industry, automotive, car engines, air, logistics, ports, technology, mining, and many more.

In Indonesia, ifm will focus more on the food and beverage industry as well as the automotive industry, which is more suitable due to the strong growth of the industrial market.

"We will focus on the food & beverage and automotive industries," says Evans.

In line with the vision of Making Indonesia 4.0, PT ifm electronic Indonesia plans to open branches in various parts of Indonesia as the company grows.

"We see Indonesia as a substantial and potential market," explains Jhon Afri Cryman, National Sales Manager at PT ifm electronic Indonesia.

Jhon explains that PT ifm electronic Indonesia tries to be as close as possible to our customers, in line with the motto "close to you". Starting from Jakarta, Jhon adds, PT ifm electronic Indonesia has the potential to grow in other areas, for example in East Java, Kalimantan, or even Sumatra.

To strengthen this vision, PT ifm electronic Indonesia continues to look for talented young people.

"In the recruitment process, we want to emphasise that we want to become a world standard company, we have our own terms and working standards. We expect the qualifications of technicians in Indonesia to be the same as the qualifications of our other technicians worldwide," says Sarah Brühl, Senior Manager of Organisational, HR, and Sales Processes at ifm electronic gmbh.

However, Sarah adds, ifm electronic also provides opportunities for young talents to grow and develop together. ifm electronic itself has its own ideas of how to manage young talents who still need experience and are also hungry for new challenges. This is why ifm electronic will continue to offer them opportunities for personal development, new skills and abilities.

"As the company grows, we continue to provide opportunities for young talents to develop with us," says Evans.

Evans goes on to say that this is certainly not a one-way street. He mentions that the electronics industry certainly has expectations that need to be met by these young talents, namely qualified work results, customers that continue to grow, and  continued development and learning.

"In the end, age is no longer so relevant because if a young person can learn faster, then they can be more experienced than an older gifted one," says Evans.